Bookish Challenges discussion

Think Tetris meets your books pile — this is no ordinary reading game.

Here’s your mission:

🧱 You’re starting with 5 columns, each 3 blocks high. These blocks? They represent different aspects of reading described further below

🔄 Each round, you’ll get 5 new random book blocks. You can read at least 3 (or go for all 5) and place them above your current stacks.

🎯 The goal? Clear all your blocks by strategically stacking 3 or more of the same color in a row or column. Every clear gets you closer to victory!

💡You can end the game after 10 rounds, or keep going until you clear your stack.

🎁 Score time:

Each block you read for = 2 points
Clear the entire board = Bonus 25 points

📖 Sample game📖

Initial blocks

Your initial random stack looks like below

🟦 💖 ⬜ 🟠 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 🟩 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

Note : ❌ means empty space in a row which contains some blocks where you can place new blocks in a round

Round 1

You receive the below 5 random blocks
🟤 🟠 🟤 🟠 🟦
You read for 🟠 🟠 🟦 tasks and decide to place the 2 bronze blocks over the current bronze block at position 4 thus eliminating the 3 of them and the blue box above the current blue block at position 1

So your board looks like

🟦
🟦 💖 ⬜ ❌ 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 🟩 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

Round 2

🟥 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟦

You decide to read for all 5 and place the 2 green above the green at position 4, the red above the red at position 1 and white above the white at position 3 and the blue above the blue at position 1. Board at end of round 2:

❌ ❌ ⬜ ❌ 🟥
❌ 💖 ⬜ ❌ 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 ❌ 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

and so on..


Each round, you’ll need to think strategically, decide which books to read, and place your blocks wisely to trigger those satisfying clears!

Blocks described

🟨 Yellow Blocks – Solid Foundation (Comfort Reads)

1. A book by an author you love
2. A book you’ve read before (reread)
3. A cosy mystery or light-hearted book

🟥 Red Blocks – High Stakes (Thrillers & Suspense)

1. A book with a chase or escape scene
2. A crime or psychological thriller
3. A book with “danger” in the title

🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)


1. A book over 500 pages
2. A classic or literary fiction novel
3. A book exploring deep emotions or philosophy

🟩 Green Blocks – Fresh Discoveries (New & Diverse Reads)

1. A book by a debut author
2. A translated book
3. A book from a genre you rarely read

🟪 Purple Blocks – Magical Journeys (Fantasy & Sci-Fi)

1. A book with magic or mythology
2. A science fiction novel
3. A book featuring time travel or alternate realities

🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)

1. A historical fiction novel
2. A memoir or biography
3. A book set before 1950

⬛ Black Blocks – Dark & Twisted (Horror & Gothic Reads)

1. A horror or gothic novel
2. A book with a haunted house or eerie setting
3. A book featuring a villain’s POV

🟫 Brown Blocks – Down to Earth (Realistic & Contemporary Reads)

1. A contemporary fiction novel
2. A book with themes of friendship or family
3. A book about personal growth

⬜ White Blocks – Wild Card (Free Choice)

1. A book outside of your usual picks
2. A book with a one-word title
3. A book on your TBR

🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)

1. A book that won a major literary award
2. A book recommended by a celebrity
3. A book from a “Best of the Year” list

🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)

1. A book that has taught you something new
2. A book that inspires creativity or motivation
3. A book with a message that changed your perspective

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)

1. A romance novel with an HEA (Happily Ever After)
2. A book about friendship, family, or personal bonds
3. A book featuring a love triangle or second-chance romance

Special powers:

You can use them one time at any point in the game. If you want to use any of them again, 5 points< /b>

1 - Swap all blocks of a colour with one of another colour
2 - Skip a block colour in one round
(i.e. if you receive 🟤 🟠 🟤 🟠 🟦 and decide to skip reading for 🟤 colour block but still use them)
3- Ask for another set of 5 blocks in a round

Points tracking: 38

Res

Your block set

🟤 💖 💖 🟧 🟠
🟤 🟠 🟧 🟤 🟠
🟨 ⬛ 🟫 🟥 💖

  1   2    3    4    5

Round 1: Your set of blocks is below. You need to read for at least 3 of them and let me know their placement. Next round will commence after this round is completed

🟤 ⬜ 🟩 🟨 🟠

Only books completed from 01 May 2025 will be accepted.

🟨 Yellow Blocks – Solid Foundation (Comfort Reads)
Title: Retribution
Author: Sarah Barrie
Date completed: 02/05/25
Task: a
How it fits: by one of my favourite authors

This one is to be placed after the brown circle

🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)
Title: Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries
Author: Kate Mosse
Date completed: 05/05/25
Task: 1
How it fits: Learnt how many women have contributed to life as it is now with out them getting the credit. So many amazing trailblazing leaders many not honoured in their life times.

To be placed on top of the two current brown circles and before the yellow block above.

🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)
Title: The Most Fun We Ever Had
Author: Claire Lombardo
Date completed: 16/05/25
Task: 2. A book recommended by a celebrity
How it fits: a book from the Reese Wetherspoon book club

To be placed on top of the two orange balls already on top of each other.

Jasmine's wrote: "🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)
Title: The Most Fun We Ever Had
Author: Claire Lombardo
Date completed: 16/05/25
Task: 2. A book recomme..."
finished post

Round 2

Your block set


❌ 💖 💖 🟧 ❌
🟨 🟠 🟧 🟤 ❌
🟨 ⬛ 🟫 🟥 💖

  1   2    3    4    5

Your new blocks

🟦 💖 🟪 💖 ⬛

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)
Title: The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge
Author: Janet Gover
Date completed: 25/05/25
Task: 1
How it fits: Romance with HEA ending

column 1

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)
Title: Wild Dark Shore
Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Date completed: 26/05/25
Task: 2
How it fits: A family who has lost their wife/mother live on a remote Island and are dealing with their grief.

column 1 second drop

🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)
Title: The Bee Sting
Author: Paul Murray
Date completed: 07/06/25
Task: 1
How it fits: 645 pages

Blue block to go in after the two hearts in 5th column

Jasmine's wrote: "🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)
Title: The Bee Sting
Author: Paul Murray
Date completed: 07/06/25
Task: 1
How it fits: 645 pages

Blue block t..."

done :o)

Round 3

Your block set


💖 ❌ ❌ 🟧 ❌
🟨 🟠 🟧 🟤 🟦
🟨 ⬛ 🟫 🟥 💖

  1   2    3    4    5

Your new blocks

💖 🟧 💖 🟧 🟩

Jasmine's wrote: "🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)
Title: The Bee Sting
Author: Paul Murray
Date completed: 07/06/25
Task: 1
How it fits: 645 pages

Blue block t..."

There's only one 💖 in col 5 as you dropped the 2nd 💖 in col 1

damn it! i wrote that wrong never mind x

🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)

Title: Murder at the Dolphin Hotel
Author: Helena Dixon
Date completed: 12/06/25
Task: 1
How it fits: Historical fiction MPG

Place block in column 5

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)

Title: Deep End
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Date completed: 21/06/25
Task: 3
How it fits: Love triangle between Scarlett, Lucas and Penn.

column 2

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)

Title: The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots
Author: Loretta Hill
Date completed: 21/06/25
Task: 2
How it fits: Lena and Dan get together, Dan has a court case involving his family.

column 3

🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)

Title: Year of Wonders
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Date completed: 18/06/25
Task: 1 & 3
How it fits: based on the plague in 1666 an historical fiction book.

column 3

finished

Round 4

Your block set



🟨 🟠 🟧 🟤 🟦
🟨 ⬛ 🟫 🟥 💖

  1   2    3    4    5

Your new blocks

🟪 🟧 🟦 🟠 🟥

🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)

Title: Twelfth Knight
Author: Alexene Farol Follmuth
Date completed: 29/06/25
Task: 2
How it fits: A book recommended by a celebrity, a book from Reese Wetherspoons book club.

column 2

🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)

Title: Wuthering Heights
Author: Emily Brontë
Date Completed: 01/07/25
Task: 2 and 3
How it fits: a classic with lots of emotions in regard to the relationship of Heathcliff and Catherine.

column 5

🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)

Title: Into the Wild
Author: Jon Krakauer
Date Completed: 05/07/25
Task: 2
How it fits: Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life.

column 3

finished

Round 5

Your block set


❌ 🟠 🟧 ❌ 🟦
🟨 🟠 🟧 🟤 🟦
🟨 ⬛ 🟫 🟥 💖

  1   2    3    4    5

Your new blocks

🟦 🟥 ⬜ 🟨 🟫

🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)

Title: Written in My Own Heart's Blood
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Date Completed: 13/07/25
Task: 1
How it fits: 842 pages - over 500+

Column 5

🟫 Brown Blocks – Down to Earth (Realistic & Contemporary Reads)

Title: Tiger Men
Author: Judy Nunn
Date Completed: 16/07/25
Task: 2
How it fits: story covers several generations of immigrant families to Tasmania, who are connected through relationships.

Column 1 after yellow block

🟨 Yellow Blocks – Solid Foundation (Comfort Reads)

Title: Sylvia
Author: Bryce Courtenay
Date Completed: 26/07/25
Task: 1
How it fits: A book by an author you love

Column 1 first block in place

Should we move to next round?

been away with no wifi, finished filling in above tx

Round 6

Your block set


❌ 🟠 🟧 ❌ ❌
❌ 🟠 🟧 🟤 ❌
🟫 ⬛ 🟫 🟥 💖

  1   2    3    4    5

Your new blocks

🟤 ⬛ 🟪 💖 🟪

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)

Title: The Bell Jar
Author: Sylvia Plath
Date Completed: 05/07/25
Task: 3
How it fits: There is a love triangle in this sad story of mental health issues

💖 column 5

🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)

Title: The Four-Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life
Author: Durenda Wilson
Date Completed: 04/08/25
Task: 2
How it fits: Has a perspective that admire and affirmed previous knowledge as well as a few tips towards educational freedom.

column 4

🟪 Purple Blocks – Magical Journeys (Fantasy & Sci-Fi)

Title: The Priory of the Orange Tree
Author: Samantha Shannon
Date completed: 09/08/25
Task: 1
How it fits: Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Column 1

Should we move to next round?

🟪 Purple Blocks – Magical Journeys (Fantasy & Sci-Fi)

Title: Maybe Next Time
Author: Cesca Major
Date completed: 13/08/25
Task: 3
How it fits: It is an ordinary Monday and harried London literary agent Emma is flying out of the door as usual. Preoccupied with work and her ever growing to-do list, she fails to notice her lovely husband Dan seems bereft, her son can barely meet her eye, and her daughter won’t go near her. Even the dog seems sad.
Just as she realizes it is their anniversary and she has forgotten, again, she hears the screech of brakes. Dan is dead.
The next day Emma wakes up… and Dan is alive. And it’s Monday again. And again. And again.

Column 1

finish round

Round 7

Your block set


🟪 🟠 🟧 🟤 ❌
🟪 🟠 🟧 🟤 💖
🟫 ⬛ 🟫 🟥 💖

  1   2    3    4    5

Your new blocks

🟪 🟠 🟨 🟦 🟧

🟪 Purple Blocks – Magical Journeys (Fantasy & Sci-Fi)

Title: Maybe in Another Life
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Date completed: 25/08/25
Task: 3. A book featuring time travel or alternate realities
How it fits: This book has a Sliding doors moment like the Gwyneth Paltrow 1998 film. Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

Column 1

🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)

Title: The Figurine
Author: Victoria Hislop
Date completed: 29/08/25
Task: 1
How it fits: historical fiction MPG

Column 3

🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)

Title: The White Crow
Author: Michael Robotham
Date completed: 05/09/25
Task: 2. A book recommended by a celebrity
How it fits: “No one does suspense better.” —Stephen King

Column 2

finished round